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Valtteri Bottas
|birthplace = Nastola, Finland |death date = |placeofdeath = |nationality = |years = –[[ Formula One Season|present]] |status = Active |currentteam = |currentcar = 77 |firstrace = 2013 Australian Grand Prix |firstwin = 2017 Russian Grand Prix |lastrace = |lastwin = 2017 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix |2017Pts = 305 |2017Position = 3rd |2018Pts = |2018Position = }} Valtteri Bottas (born August 28, 1989 in Nastola, Finland) is a Formula One driver for the team. Having tested with the team since , Bottas was promoted to a race seat for . For the season, Bottas retained his race seat at Williams, partnered by Felipe Massa. In , he moved to Mercedes to replace retired and reigning world champion Nico Rosberg and partner Lewis Hamilton. His first podium came in the 2014 Austrian Grand Prix. He went on to finish 4th in the Drivers' Championship in . He got his first pole at the 2017 Bahrain Grand Prix, and his first win at the in the same year. He took his first double at the 2017 Austrian Grand Prix. His permanent career number is 77. __TOC__ Formula One Career Before Formula One In 2008, Bottas won both the Formula Renault Eurocup and the Formula Renault Northern European Cup. He then advanced to Formula Three in 2009, but was unable to win any races. He was able to set two pole positions though. He won the 2009 Masters of Formula 3 after setting the pole position and fastest lap. He repeated this win in 2010, becoming the first driver in history to win the Formula Three Masters title for two consecutive years. In 2010, Bottas was called to to fill a position as test driver. Although he would have this position for the , , seasons, he would also compete in and win the GP3 Series championship. 2013 After Bruno Senna left the sport at the end of the season, it was confirmed that Bottas would replace him on for the season. He would race alongside Pastor Maldonado. Bottas made his debut in Australia, qualifying for 16th on the grid. During the race, he lost a lap to the leaders and finished in 14th position, one position behind rookie Esteban Gutiérrez. He was not in a scoring position for that race, and was the second highest ranked rookie in that race. .]] At the next race in Malaysia, Bottas finished one position outside of the points. He was only 1.486 seconds behind Jean-Éric Vergne of . This would be his fate for the next 15 races, finishing in the upper teens. He suffered his first career retirement in Hungary after he suffered a hydraulics failure. He would later suffered another retirement after a collision in the final race of the season at Brazil, but not before he managed to score his first career points in the race prior. After a battle in the United States, Bottas finished 8th which earned him 4 points. These were his only career points in the season. Bottas finished the season in 17th position for the World Drivers' Championship, and it was confirmed that he would return to Williams for the next season. 2014 Personal life Since 2010, Bottas has been in a relationship with Finnish swimmer Emilia Pikkarainen. They were both married on 11 September 2016. Formula One Statistical Overview Formula One Record Career Statistics Correct as of the 2018 Spanish Grand Prix qualifying Wins Career Results | | | ||| | | | | | || | | | || |—|—}} |15th|15th|13th|12th|17th|16th|15th| | |4|17th}} | | | | | | | | | | | | |11th| | | | | |186|4th}} | | | | |14th| | | |13th| | | | |12th| | | |13th|136|5th}} | | | | |12th| | | |14th| | | | | | | |16th| |11th| |85|8th}} | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |305|3rd}} |- |- Notes Category:Living people Category:1989 births Category:2013 Début Drivers‎ Category:Finnish Drivers Category:Williams Drivers Category:Review Category:Current Drivers Category:Mercedes Drivers